Rumors
by SallyDaer
Summary: Jim always thought that he knew all there was to know about his best friend. Now he's not so sure.
1. Chapter 1

Most people would never consider the rec rooms in the Enterprise as a good place to work. In a starship of her size, with more than five hundred crewmen on board, with people coming and going at any time of day and night, enjoying their time off duty, they were too noisy. It wasn't easy to focus on anything with all the voices and the laughs in the background. Everybody knew, however, that it was in the rec rooms where the Captain caught up on his paperwork.

James Kirk liked to feel his crew around him. He maintained the theory that a good Captain needed to know what was happening between his people almost as well as he knew the condition of his warp engines, and he couldn't do that if he spent all his time between his senior officers, in his ready room, or locked in his cabin. Most of the best rumors never made their way to the bridge.

He liked to think that his crew trusted him enough to go to him with whatever crazy plot that had crossed their minds. He had a crew of geniuses, after all, and he didn't want any good idea wasted because he wasn't available to listen to them. Comfortably settled in a couch in one of the rec rooms, he was much more approachable than shut away in his office. And if that meant that the paperwork didn't progress as fast as it would have in some other place... Well, he'd always have time enough to finish it in his cabin later at night, or in the bridge the next morning.

That night, however, nothing threatened his concentration. By some strange miracle, rec room three had been empty and silent for a long while. Jim had finished reviewing and signing some reports from Engineering a few minutes before and now he was simply sprawled on a couch, sipping his cappuccino, and enjoying the sight of the stars on the other side of the window considering his day done.

He had to wake up early the next morning. He probably should not wait to return to his cabin and go to bed, but he felt so comfortable that he didn't even shift when he heard the soft hiss of a door opening and the sound of feminine laughter entering the room. Jim distinguished at least three different voices moving toward the replicator in the other end of the hall and asking for coffee before sitting at a table in the corner.

"That's not fair and you know it." One of the women complained, obviously picking up a conversation they had started before. "If she's going to abandon us for a man, the least she could do is tell us who he is."

"You kidding me? You know her," another one replied. "She never tells the guy's name until she's sure that things are going to be serious between them."

"And she never stays more than one or two weeks with any of them, so we never get to know who she is dating. But this time must be different. They've been together for more than a month," the first woman insisted.

"Even so, if she prefers not to speak about it..."

"Forget what Cass may want, Jen. You should remember that it was Cass who didn't stop poking her nose in _your_ business when you were flirting with Sulu. And we all know how well that went."

Jim almost rose up when he heard that, but he instantly dropped again on the coach, trusting that his movement had gone unnoticed. That was interesting. Sulu? And a Jen? Flirting? Seriously? He didn't remember Sulu flirting with anyone in the ship. As far as he knew, the pilot spent all his free time playing with his sword or in the botany lab with some new bunch of alien plants. It wasn't usual to see him around of women out of work.

"Don't speak about that." Jen replied. "I could have killed her."

"Well, telling us who's she dating now wouldn't be half as bad as that was," the third girl pressed, speaking for first time. "And is not as if Alex and I were going to speak about that with someone."

"Of course not," Alex reassured her. "But these last five weeks Cass has spent all her free time locked in that stallion's cabin. Damn it! It seems that she only goes out of there to work and to brag about how awesome he is in the bed. We _need_ to know his name. If they break up sometime, Lyss and I may be interested."

They roared with laughter, but Jim wasn't listening any more. During his first weeks on the Enterprise, he had made a very serious effort to memorize the names and faces of his crew, and he had an outstanding memory. He usually had at least a good idea of who was working with whom or who was spending time together in the rec rooms, but he didn't remember any Cass that he could match with a Jen, an Alex or a Lyss. He felt really tempted to stick his head out and look at them. Damn it! Who had Sulu been flirting with?

"All right." Jen finally gave up. "But if she ever finds out that you know it, it was not from me."

"Of course not."

"You have our word. You can trust us."

Jim wouldn't have trusted them at all, but it was obvious that, deep down, Jen wanted to tell her friends about Cass' lover. Maybe he'd have to find out who she was and what sort of job she was doing in the ship. Just to be sure that she was not in charge of something confidential, he thought sipping his coffee. It could be a problem if she sometimes had something important in her hands.

The girl dithered as long as she could, enjoying the moment, the expectation, and then dropped the bomb. "McCoy," she said finally. "Cass is having a fling with Doctor McCoy."

It was good that the news caused a burst of gasps and comments around the table, because Jim choked on his coffee and, in the almost empty room, without doubt, the women would have heard him. That is impossible. Absolutely impossible. He could accept that Sulu would have an affair without him finding out about it. The pilot was a very private person, after all, and didn't speak often about his personal life. But, Bones? No. Not Bones. Again, it was impossible.

All right. Maybe impossible was not the right word. After all, to be fair, Bones was a handsome man. If he wanted, he could seduce anyone. In fact, Jim had seen him do it; use his southern gentleman manners, whisper with that voice of his, sexy as hell, give a hint of a smile, and get women that would have made Jim sweat blood before speaking to him on their knees.

The real matter was that usually Bones didn't want too. He didn't like one night flings and hated the casual sex on board the Enterprise. Everybody was a possible future patient and he knew a little too much about them to feel really comfortable with it. Of course, he could have changed his mind, but he'd have told Jim about it, wouldn't he? He was his best friend, after all.

"Mmmmm, Jen. Are you sure about that?" Alex's cautious voice attracted Jim's attention to the conversation again.

"Very sure. Why?"

"Because I thought that McCoy was having an... affair with Matthews."

"Matthews? Who's Matthews?"

"Matthews? That hot guy from Engineering?"

Lyss and Jen spoke at the same time and Jim's eyebrows arched in a way that would have made Spock proud.

"That one," Alex replied right away. "You have to know him Jen. Tall, dark, with beautiful gray eyes, and a body to die for. He's always in the movie night when they show those horrible mystery holos from XXI century."

"Yes, I know him." Jim too. Lieutenant Christopher Matthews was one of the brightest and youngest officers in Engineering, but he didn't know that Bones had ever met him. What the hell? He didn't know that Bones had friends in Engineering, besides Scotty. "Are you sure?"

Jim nodded to himself. That was the question he wanted answered too, because it wasn't possible. Bones locked in his cabin, having wild sex with a hot girl? Not probable, but credible. Bones with another man? Difficult. He had been married and he had a daughter. Jim had never seen him checking any guy's backside, damn it! He was almost sure that the man was straight but he had to admit that it wasn't impossible. Bones with an engineer? Definitely not. Bones hated the idea of living in a starship. He avoided news of possible malfunctions of the engines as much as he could and he wouldn't be able to do that if he was dating with someone who worked in engineering on daily basis.

"I am. I've been working in Bio Lab Two for the last two weeks and you can see the doors of Sickbay from there. I've seen them together. A lot." Jim snorted silently. That didn't mean anything. "They always walk very close, almost touching each other. McCoy is very focused on him and has that half smile... Do you know which one I mean?" The answer was probably positive, because Alex continued speaking only a moment later. "Matthews looks like... flushed, I'd say, and I'm not sure but I think that once or twice he was walkingfunny. I don't know what are those two doing together, but I can say that they are not speaking about programming the vaccines synthesizers."

Someone whistled and, when Jim heard Lyss' voice, he sank a little deeper in the sofa and pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, what happened with Yeoman Lane?"

"With Deb? No idea. Why?" But Jen seemed more than happy to hear about it. Jim definitely had to know in what track that woman was working in. "What do you know that we don't?"

"I'm not sure, but she and doctor McCoy were getting out of the turbolift on deck three yesterday when I was going in." Lyss said excitedly. "Her hair was all disheveled, her uniform wrinkled, and he had his hand in her back."

"Oh, my god!" Jen exclaimed. "It seems that the good doctor has been busy. Who would have believed it?"

"Everybody," said Alex. "Have you looked at that man? Really looked at him? Have you ever seen him working out in the gym? He has the broadest shoulders ever and the most perfect ass. I can tell you," she sighed happily, "sometimes I have to make a very hard effort to not reach out and slap it when he walks next to me."

"And his hands," Lyss added. "Have you noticed his hands? He has perfect, strong hands. With such long fingers..."

"Yes," Alex interrupted again. "You only can dream about all the things that those fingers can do to a woman's body."

"Are you kidding me?" It seemed that Jen was the only member of the group that couldn't see Bones' charms, and Jim couldn't decide if that was a good or a bad thing. "That man only opens his mouth to grumble or to make sarcastic remarks."

"So?" Jim had the clear idea that Lyss would be more than happy to join Bones' harem. He still couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You don't need to speak with him. I'm sure that you could convince him to do much more interesting things than speak with that mouth of his. Think about those gorgeous lips..."

It was good that they chose that moment to put their mugs back in the replicator and go out of the room, because Jim didn't know for how long he could remain silent.

"Ohhhh, that bottom lip... Perfect to nibble"

"That's the right word. Perfect." That was the last thing that Jim listened before the door closed behind the three women.

For a long while, he didn't move, too busy trying to assimilate what he had just heard. It was fucking disconcerting. The Doctor McCoy those women were talking about didn't look like the Doctor McCoy he knew. At all. Or, by some strange reason he didn't know, he had fallen in an alternative universe where his CMO was the official Casanova in the ship, or Bones had a wicked twin in the Enterprise and nobody had bothered to inform him. Or maybe Bones had been hiding a lot of things from him.

Truth be said, it was almost insulting, because Jim had been telling him each and every one of the details of his sex life for years. That weekend in the beach with Pike's niece and the Andorian cadet in their second year that Jim really hoped the admiral would never find out included. Right, since he was captain of the Enterprise his chances had been drastic and sadly, limited; but even so, Bones still had all the details. It was true that, if you asked him, McCoy would say that he was not interested in what was happening in Jim's bed, but even so...

It was so not fair. Now that Jim didn't have his own sexual life, the least that Bones could do was share his. He didn't believe that everything the women had said was true. If Bones had been doing all of that, he hardly would have time to fulfill his shifts in Sickbay, and Jim knew that Bones was never late for work. He knew, from his own experience, that rumors were prone to get out of control on board the Enterprise, but there usually was a trace of truth in them. And if there was one here, Bones was going to tell him, without excuses, tomorrow morning.


	2. Chapter 2

Finding a moment to speak with Bones the next morning turned out to be more difficult than Jim had expected. His meeting with his chief security officer, which shouldn't have lasted more than one hour, had extended so long that he hadn't had time to eat more than a sandwich on the bridge, before locking himself in his ready room for a subspace communication with Admiral Kormack. And expecting that a conversation with Kormack would be brief was like expecting to see a Vulcan crying at the sight of the sunset. Not very probable.

The man wasn't happy until he had gone over everything he wanted to say in at least five different ways. It didn't matter how much you tried to explain that you had understood him the first time. It was tedious and annoying but, since he usually didn't ask for more response than a nod here and there or some noise of agreement every few minutes, Jim was able to focus his attention in more useful matters while he allowed the Admiral speak until covering even the more petty aspects of the matter.

The more he thought about what he'd heard the previous night, the more absurd Jim believed it was. It was true that in the last few weeks he hadn't spent as much time with Bones as he used to do, but they both had been busy and when Jim had looked for him, he always had found the doctor in sickbay, the mess, or in his cabin. Alone. With a glass of bourbon and a book or watching a holovid. There was no signs of a fling, much less several at the same time. It was obvious that he was again in front of one of those rumors that had run so wild that had lost any resemblance with reality.

It was even funny. Leonard McCoy, the interstellar playboy? When people played ice hockey in hell. He couldn't wait to tell Bones about it. As soon as his shift was over, he was going to go down to sickbay, take his friend to the mess for dinner, and, later, when they both were relaxing in his cabin for a nightcap, he'd blurted the comment out. "Hey, Bones, I've heard that you've been fucking half of my crew. Don't you think you should have told me about it? It's my crew we're talking about, after all. It's not nice that I have to find out about it from another." Yes. Jim couldn't wait to see McCoy's face.

When Jim arrived at the sickbay, however, McCoy was not within of sight. M´Benga was busy with a patient in the back of one of the examination rooms and one of the new nurses, Jim didn´t remember her name, was arranging something in a cabinet next to the door that led to the surgery room. Nurse Chapel was behind the nurse´s desk, so focused in a PADD that she almost didn´t notice when he appeared in front of her.

"Christine," he greeted with a smile. "It seems you're having a slow afternoon."

"Finally," she replied, shrugging. "There was accident in one of the science labs three hours ago. This didn't begin to clear until the last half hour." That sobered Jim immediately.

"Something serious?"

"Nothing to worry about. A lot of cuts, scratches, and a few burns," the nurse reassured him. "Lieutenant Rosas and ensign J´Quai are going to stay tonight under observation, but it´s only because Doctor McCoy prefers to be cautious. They´ll be released for duty in forty-eight hours. Everybody else is already back at work."

"Perfect. In that case, I´m going to bother Bones for the details," Jim said smiling again. "Is he in there?" he asked waving towards the closed door of McCoy´s office.

"Yes, but he´s busy. It shouldn't take long, but if you prefer not to wait, I could tell him that you are looking for him as soon as he finishes captain," she offered.

"Not problem. I can wait. Carry on with what you are doing nurse, please. I'll use the time visiting Rosas and J´Quai".

"I am sure that they will be happy to see you here, sir." Chapel pointed at two occupied beds at the other side of the aisle and went back to work.

Jim put on his best captain smile and went to visit his two injured crewmen. They looked bruised and a little dazed, but really pleased with the visit and Jim stayed with them until he heard the door of Bones' office opening. Then he hurried to say good-bye and he turned around just in time to see McCoy walking out of his office. Accompanied by Lieutenant Matthews.

That, definitely, was not what Jim was expecting to see when he had arrived to sickbay. Not very sure of how to react, he stopped and waited, watching silently while the two men walked towards him. It seemed that Bones was treating the engineer like he'd do with any other patient, but damned if the woman from the night before was not right. If you paid attention, you could see that Matthews looked a little flushed and walked with that soft, almost imperceptible swaggering of a man who has enjoyed a night of sex. A long night of very enthusiastic sex. Sex with other man. It was unmistakable, although Matthews was trying to conceal it. Jim had seen it enough times before to be wrong. And Bones had that smile. He wouldn't go so far as to say it was a smug smile, but it was clear that Bones was unusually satisfied.

"Jim!" And it seemed that he didn't mind that Jim knew about them, the captain thought when Bones finally noticed his presence and smiled at him. "Just on time. I have not eaten since breakfast. Do you want to get some dinner?"

"Captain." The younger man looked at the captain, then at the CMO, back again at the captain, and blushed so outrageously that Jim had to bite his tongue not to comment on it. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go back to work."

"Of course, lieutenant. Dismissed."

Jim watched him move away while Bones talked quietly to nurse Chapel. The doctor tapped something on his padd, sent it over the nurse's desk, and waved Jim to go to the door.

If Jim expected some comment about Matthews, he was proved wrong. As soon as they were walking along the corridor, Bones launched to a detailed report about what had happened in the sciences lab, spreading the tale with some not to very kind comments about fools who played with alien chemical compounds, potentially dangerous and unstable, without taking the minimal preventive measures and how maybe that people should suffer the consequences of their stupidity.

In any other moment, Jim would have enjoyed Bones' ranting but, just then, it was not fun at all. The sciences lab could wait until Spock sent his report, probably later that night. Knowing his Vulcan officer, if the incident had been due to someone's negligence, it wouldn't happen again. What he really wanted to know was what was happening with the engineer.

If McCoy believed that he was going to forget the matter, he was wrong. Despite appearances, Jim knew how to be patient when it was needed, and knew the value of a useful and nice ambush when he was looking for important information. He had even attended some courses about it in the Academy. Bones didn't know who he was dealing with. Jim allowed him to talk on their way to the mess, nodding, and making comments here and there when he felt that Bones was expecting an answer and, by the time they had chosen their dinner and were settled in a small table in the back of the room, the doctor looked confident and ready for a change of subject. Jim waited until he was sure Bones was relaxed and enjoying his first bite of roasted chicken to ask the question.

"So, what's the matter with Matthews?" He said, almost indifferent.

If Jim would have not been observing carefully, he may have not realized it, but Jim knew McCoy and was expecting some kind of reaction. So, the way the doctor almost choked and then forced himself to chew slowly and swallow didn't go unnoticed. "Matthews?" he mumbled after a moment.

"Yes, Matthews," Jim answered, trying to keep the light tone. "Was he in lab two too?"

They both knew that he wasn't. Engineers often worked in the science labs, but lab two was used mainly for biological investigation. It wasn't probable that Matthews were there for professional reasons.

"Not, of course not," Bones shrugged. "He just came to sickbay after all that mess happened. Routine stuff."

So, he wasn't going to tell him? That hurt. Jim doubted Bones had ever hidden something from him before and the novelty wasn't welcome. Now, if McCoy wanted to play that way he could do it too.

"Routine?" He questioned with an almost naive look in his blue eyes. "Have you started with the quarterly physicals already? I thought you were going to do it next week."

"I'll do it in ten days. And you should be scheduled for the first one, Jim," McCoy said waving at him with his fork. "You cannot keep avoiding it as you've been doing. You're a bad example for the crew, _Captain_," he added emphasizing the last word.

Suddenly, something clicked in Jim's brain. Captain. Was that the matter? He had been thinking about Bones as his best friend, but he was his commanding officer too. And Starfleet had serious rules, very serious about fraternization between officers. Jim wasn't being too strict about them. Everybody in his crew was an adult. At this stage, even Chekov was an adult, what the hell, so while they behaved as such and did not allow their relationships affect their work, he didn't mind who slept with whom.

Bones and him, however, had never discussed that issue before. Jim had decided, as captain, to respect strictly every rule regarding **fraternization. Sadly, t**hat meant that he had never had such an intimate relationship with his right hand as he did now. Maybe Bones thought that Jim expected the same thing from him. That was absurd. Everybody on board knew that Uhura spent more nights in Spock's bed that in her own and the captain had never had a problem with that. Why the hell was Bones going to think that he was going to berate him something that he allowed Spock to do? They definitely need to have a chat.

"Yes. Sure. Send the time to my assistant. No problem," he shrugged before going back on the attack. "So, what happens with Matthews? I don't remember any mention to him in any of your reports."

"Nor did I know that you really read them," Bones cut him. "Look, Jim," he continued with a sigh. "I cannot give you details about Matthews, all right? Even in this bucket of bolts exists something called confidentiality. And as Matthews' doctor, I have to keep his private business private. The only thing you need to know about him is that he was in my sickbay for a health problem that doesn't affect his capacity as an officer nor the ship security. That's all."

"I don't doubt it. I know that you'd tell me in that case but, Bones, I..." Jim started, determined to speak clearly.

"Bridge to captain Kirk," the soft voice of Lieutenant Uhura in his comm interrupted him and Jim cursed silently. It could not be a worse moment.

"Kirk here."

"I have Admiral Kormack on the comm again," the communications officer said almost apologizing.

"Great," Jim replied. "Pass him to my ready room. I'll be there in two minutes. I'm sorry Bones," he added. How could the damned man have found something more to tell him so soon? "I've been speaking with him half the afternoon, but it seems that he cannot live without the pleasure of my exciting conversations." He looked regretfully his almost intact food, got a last bite and finally pushed his plate aside. "Could you...?" he asked waving toward his tray.

"Don't worry," McCoy replied. "I got it. You go and do important captainy things."

"Thanks Bones. Breakfast tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course," the doctor accepted without thinking. It was not as if they didn't have breakfast together most mornings. "Go now, kid. Don't keep the Admiral waiting."

Jim left without another word. Bones was right. It was never a good idea to keep an Admiral waiting. Kormack was especially picky with that kind of things and, just for that mission, he needed to be in the man's best side. Shame that he had called just then. Bones was too happy to see him leave. However, if the doctor believed that he got rid of him so easily he was totally wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

Jim woke up early next morning and, instead of putting on some shorts, trainers, and going for his usual morning run, he dressed his uniform and went right to the mess. He didn't expect to find Bones there so soon. The doctor could spend the whole night awake when his surgeon's capacities were needed or survive without more than a quick nap here and there in the middle of a medical emergency, but Bones hated to get up early and Jim knew it. He had learned it, in a not nice way, during their first week in the Academy, and he was sure that had not changed.

Having said that, Jim had a reputation as a brilliant tactician, and it was for a reason. He valued every chance, every possible turn of events, didn't take anything for granted. Bones probably would appear in the mess as he did every morning, thirty minutes before the start of his shift, just in time for breakfast and a quick look at the report from the doctor in charge of gamma shift, and Jim would have to wait for him for a long while working on his own paperwork. But, if for some strange miracle, the doctor decided to get out of his bed before it was strictly necessary, Jim wasn't going to miss the opportunity of a long chat. From his point of view, they had delayed it more than enough.

As he expected, when he arrived the mess was almost empty and he had no problems finding an empty table with a prefect view of the door. Since Bones wasn't there, and was not expected soon, Jim allowed himself the luxury of asking for a double ration of pancakes with hot chocolate and whipped cream, and savored it without feeling McCoy's accusing look on him for eating every bit.

Jim enjoyed his meal and considered a second cup of coffee. Half of the tables around him were taken now, but Bones had still not appeared. Alpha shift was going to start in less than half an hour and, if he didn't arrive soon, he wouldn't have time for more than a fast coffee. That wasn't acceptable. Not this morning. Another long day on the bridge, musing about the hypothetical sexual life of his CMO wouldn't be fun at all.

Absently, Jim looked around, watching his crew interact and get ready for the day. It was then that he noticed it. Bones was there. Standing by one of the tables on the back of the room, one of the small ones almost hidden of the view from the main section of the room that people left available so the couples in the ship could share their meals in some kind of intimacy. And he wasn't alone. There was a girl standing just next to him, so close that she was almost touching him, staring at him with open adoration, without trying to conceal it at all.

The woman was Ensign Lane. Jim recognized her as soon as he saw her. Last month she had stood in for Janice Rand on the bridge when the captain's yeoman had fallen with the andorian flu. She was beautiful enough to have caught the attention of most of the male bridge crew. Jim wasn't going to deny that the girl was cute, but she was too shy and delicate for him to feel attracted.

Jim would have sworn that Bones had been as uninterested as he had. She looked too much as his ex-wife and, until now, Bones had always avoided women who looked like Jocelyn. Green eyes, dark hair, ethereal looking women were definitely a no for his friend. However, none of that seemed to be worrying him in that moment, Jim thought watching the assistant hold his friend's hand without the doctor objecting to it. On the contrary, McCoy was smiling. Smiling!

Enough was enough, Jim thought. He stood up abruptly and walked toward them. This had to finish right now. What did Bones think that he was doing? Flirting in the middle of the mess, where half the crew could see him, thirty minutes before the start of alpha shift, wasn't a good idea. Matthews had alpha shift that week. What if he appeared and found his boyfriend fooling around with Lane? Damn! Bones had to learn how to be more discreet if he didn't want this mess exploding in his face.

McCoy, however, didn't look worried at all. Before Jim had the chance to approach them, the doctor turned away from the girl and walked right to his captain.

"Ah, Jim! You're here!" he said. He patted Jim's should when passed near him and continued walking toward the replicator. "Come on, I need a cup of coffee."

"Why?" Jim asked falling into step with him. Now that he could see him better, it seemed that Bones had not rested the previous night. He hadn't received any report of medical emergencies since the incident in the science lab, so he couldn't help wondering if maybe McCoy had been busy with some other thing. With Lane. Or Matthews. Or maybe with some other person that he still didn't know about. "Did you not sleep well?"

Jim threw an intent look to Lane, who was now settled in a big table with some of the younger members of the crew.

"Let's just say that I haven't slept," McCoy replied. It seemed that he hadn't gotten the insinuation and was asking for a coffee, black and with more sugar than even Jim thought healthy. "You'll be closer to the truth."

That was exactly the tip that Jim was expecting. There was no way that McCoy could believe that he wouldn't comment on something like that. He was the captain, what the hell. He knew that the CMO hadn't been awake for professional reasons and Bones had to know that he knew. His friend wasn't stupid. He shifted to have a better sight of McCoy's face and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You didn't?" he asked. "So, what did you...?"

"Doctor McCoy to sickbay" The voice of nurse Chapel through the communication system interrupted him. "Doctor McCoy. Code three."

The voice startled McCoy and the sudden movement made part of the contents of his cup of coffee dropped over his fingers.

"Fuck!" McCoy muttered, changing the cup to his free hand and looking frantically for something to dry his scalded fingers.

"Here," Jim took a napkin from a nearby table. "Take this. Let me..."

"Thanks. See you later." McCoy dried his fingers and recovered his cup with an economy of movements that refuted his previous tiredness. Then hurried to the door. "And eat something!" he shout over his shoulder just when the door was closing behind him.

The next eight hours were, without any doubt, the longest that Jim had ever spent on the bridge of the Enterprise. Everybody knew that he loved his chair. There was nothing like sitting there, feeling in charge of things, watching the stars in front of him while his crew moved around him with his usual efficiency, knowing that something new, unexpected, could happen any moment, but that day he'd have paid for getting out of there as soon as it was possible.

It hadn't even been a boring shift. It hadn't been one of those days that the instructors in the Academy forget to tell you about, between one mission and the next one, flying in a straight line, crossing stellar desserts unbearably tedious, where the only thing the captain could do was sit in his chair and do his best to not bother the rest of the bridge crew while he prayed that someone, anyone, sent him some report to read and not die of boredom.

No. It hadn't been one of those days. Actually, Jim had been so busy that he shouldn't have found time to worry about what Bones could be doing or not doing, but his brain kept finding new reasons to escape, once again, to the medical bay. It didn't mind how hard he had tried, he hadn't found the chance to pass the con to Spock and go away for some minutes. He didn't believe that some minutes were going to be enough, but it'd have been nice to try.

As soon as the alert announced the end of his shift, Jim went to the lift, as fast as he could, without giving the impression of running away. It was never a good thing if the crew saw their captain fleeing of the bridge. It was bad for morale. He went straight to the sickbay, quickening his pace as he approached his friend's domain.

He was sure that Bones still would be there. The doctor usually didn't pay attention to the shift changes and he often stayed in his office until Jim appeared at his door, or nurse Chapel kicked him off with strict orders of not returning to the sickbay until the next day, but Bones wasn't being himself lately and Jim wasn't going to take risks. He was going to speak with his friend that afternoon, even if had to call an official meeting between the captain and the chief medical officer.

He arrived at the sickbay in a record time, just in time to see Lieutenant Matthews crossing the door and disappearing in the other end of the corridor. Jim saw red. Why was Bones taking that kind of risk? It was not a secret that not everybody in Medical was happy with the idea of Leonard McCoy, just graduated from Starfleet Academy, being the CMO of the fleet flagship. Too many bigwigs wanted his chair. If he wasn't more careful, someone was going to talk too much, some big shot was going to be happy to post him in some filthy star base in the last corner of the quadrant, and Jim wouldn't be able to avoid it. And McCoy leaving the Enterprise, leaving its sickbay in the hands of some unknown, much less competent medical officer? That was not acceptable. Period.

Jim found McCoy in his office, surrounded for a pile of padds with patients' files and reports. If he didn't know how abnormal things were, he would have thought that everything was normal.

"Hey," Jim called leaning against the doorframe. "Are you done for today?"

"No," the doctor answered. "But it can wait a few hours," he added, dropping the stylus on his desk. Then he stretched as if he was tense. Jim took mental note of the detail. If after whatever they had been doing together Bones still was not relaxed, then Matthews was doing something wrong. Really wrong. Maybe he should sit with Bones and give him some tips. Once that mess was cleared, of course.

"You sure?" Jim arched an eyebrow. "I don't want to cause you problems with the captain. I've heard he's a very demanding bastard."

"Nah," Bones turned his monitor of and rose from his chair. "I have his number. You don't need to worry about him. However, you should take care with the first officer. That one is a tough son of a bitch. Walking Vulcan computer, you know..."

"In that case, make sure that he doesn't catch you slipping away from work. I have a bottle of liquor that the ambassador of Keneb III gave me as a present when he was on board last month." Jim put a hand in his friend's shoulder and pushed him gently toward the door. Spock had the bridge and things seemed quiet in sickbay. In less than five minutes, he was going to have Bones in his quarters, and nothing less than a red alert was going to change that. No, no, no, no, fuck, no. Jim cursed between his teeth when a sudden commotion at the other side of the door made McCoy stop on his heels.

The door opened and Scotty and one of his engineers came into the sickbay carrying a woman that Jim didn't recognize at first sight. McCoy hurried to them, took up the engineer's place next to the injured, and led Scotty to the closest examination room.

"There was an explosion, a little one, in one of the plasma conduits and it got her head on," the engineer explained before McCoy even had the chance of asking the question. "I know we should have waited for a medical team, but I thought that the quicker we get her here the better."

"You did the right thing," the doctor interrupted him. "Help me to put her on the biobed. Chapel!" he shouted while he reached for a tricorder without taking his eyes out of the injured woman. "Jim, I'm sorry but I'm afraid that cup is going to have to wait."

Jim nodded, conscious that, even if he had answered out load Bones was already too focused on his patient to hear him. He wasn't going to complain. His crew and their welfare were always the first, of course. Although if Scotty had arrived two minutes later, only two minutes later, he and Bones would have been safe in his cabin and ensign Ricci? Ricard? Rico, that was it! Ensign Rico would have been flawlessly attended by Doctor M'Benga, a very competent medical professional who didn't like to bother McCoy in his free time if it wasn't absolutely necessary. The timing of his crew in the last couple of days sucked, he thought frowning.

M'Benga arrived just then. When he saw the captain and the chief engineer inside the exam room, he gestured to the door. "Gentlemen, it'll be better if you wait outside," he said in a tone that allowed no replies. "I'll get out a report as soon as I can."

Before he could react, Jim found himself standing in the corridor. Definitely, Bones was a bad influence. The medical staff had no respect for their captain at all. He had to do something about it. Soon. "That plasma conduit," he said to Scotty, trying to disguise how uncomfortable he felt.

"Keenser is on it. It didn't seem serious but I want to run a full diagnosis on the circuit as soon as is possible," Scotty said, looking worriedly to the closed door in front of him. If he could choose, it was obvious that he'd rather be doing the tests himself instead of waiting for news on the sickbay and Jim agreed with him.

"In that case go and do it. I want a report as soon as you have finished. I'll stay here," the captain added when Scotty turned again to look at the door. "There's no need for both of us to do it."

"Thanks, captain."

You're welcome, Jim thought watching how the man disappeared at full speed, as if he feared that Jim changed his mind. There was not risk of it. His plans for the afternoon had just been ruined. It didn't matter that M'Benga was now inside of that exam room, it was not possible that Bones would leave before he considered his work done and Rico was sleeping safely. Although, if Rico's condition wasn't too serious, maybe he still had the chance of kidnapping McCoy and speaking with him later this afternoon. He still wasn't giving up hope, Jim decided. The only thing he had to do was spend the rest of the afternoon hanging out in sickbay.

After a while waiting by the door, Jim got the impression that nobody was going to go out and report immediately, so he decided to go on the hunt for some coffee and a place to work. One of the joys of a captain's life was the never-ending paperwork. At least he could use the time while he waited.

The closest replicator was in the nurses' rest room. The place was empty, but someone had left a box of cookies open on the table. Made from scratch, not replicated, if he had to judge by its look, and covered with chocolate chips, he noticed while he waited for his coffee. It was not possible to resist something like that.

Jim got a cookie and his coffee and returned to the corridor in search of an empty computer terminal from where he could watch the door of the exam room. There were not too many options and he ended in a tiny, crammed office close of one of the labs. He had never been in there, although he was sure that he had visited almost every room in the ship at least once. He didn't know who occupied it usually, but he really hoped that, whoever the lucky one could be, didn't have to spent too much time there or he risked become claustrophobic. Hell, he didn't even know that there were such small offices on the ship. However, it had an available desk and a terminal and that was just what he needed, so he started to work leaving the door open.

Very soon, he noticed that the room was not only small and suffocating; its walls weren't as well isolated as they should be and he could hear some noise from lab 5, on the other side of the wall. Maybe it was because of that that it was unoccupied, Jim thought. It couldn't be easy to focus in something when you were making efforts to ignore such embarrassing conversations as the one he was listening in that moment.

"So, what's the plan for tonight? Are you both going to lock yourselves into your cabin until tomorrow? Again?" A female voice questioned, dripping sarcasm.

"No," another female voice said merrily. "Tonight we're going to do something different."

"Seriously?" The first voice clearly sounded incredulous.

"Yes. Tonight we're going to stay in his cabin. My shift finishes quite a bit later than his," the answer came fast and delighted. "He's going to make dinner for me."

"And of course nobody is going to see you again until the start of alpha shift," the first one grunted." I didn't mean that and you know it, Cass."

The name rang a bell in Jim's brain. Cass. The same Cass he had heard about a few nights ago? The one that apparently spent most of her free time in Bones' bed?

"Dinner in a public place, somewhere where people can see you. A walk in the arboretum. Share popcorn in the movie night in rec room six... That's a change in plans," the other girl continued. "Changing the place where you're having sex doesn't qualify as a change of plans."

"Maybe." Cass didn't sound worried about it. "Just believe me. If you were in my place, you wouldn't want to change it either. Seriously. He's amazing," she sighed. "I've had sex before, lots of sex, but it had never been like this. With anybody. Yesterday he didn't let me sleep at all and the things he made me... It may be because he's a doctor, because..."

Jim almost jumped from his chair. That was the last straw. He wasn't going to wait anymore. If Bones was not going to give him some explanations willingly, Jim'd have to force him to do it. This very day. A fast check to the computer to figure out who was working that afternoon in the labs gave him the surname of the infamous Cass and told him that Lieutenant Cassandra Martyn would finish his shift at 2200. That was all he needed to know. Jim turned the computer off and was ready to leave the sickbay when he heard nurse Chapel calling him from the other side of the corridor.

"Captain," the woman said getting closer to him hastily. "Doctor McCoy had asked me to report that ensign Rico's condition is stable. The burns are serious, not as bad as he feared but in a difficult area, so he thinks he'll be busy for at least two, maybe three hours. He says that the bottle you were talking about is going to wait until the weekend," she added arching an eyebrow disapprovingly.

"Of course. Thanks for telling me" Jim said, purposefully ignoring the reproving look of the woman. "Christine," he called her when the woman had already turned to go back to the examination room. "Could you tell me when Bones has finished here? Without him knowing it?" He asked with one of his more charming smiles.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, sir." The nurse said slowly, obviously doubting between her loyalty to her captain and her commanding officer. "Not if tomorrow it is going to be the medical staff that has to deal with the aftermath."

"There won't be aftermath, Christine. I promise you." Jim mentally crossed his fingers. Bones could get a little mad. It was possible that next morning he'd be a little grumpier than usual, but he wasn't going to make his staff pay for it. The first damned fool that had the bad luck to get hurt for ignoring some security protocol? He'll for sure have the worst morning in his life. Bones' staff? They weren't at risk. And Jim believed deeply that someone who dared ignore security protocols in his ship deserved to deal with Doctor McCoy's ire. "He's been too busy lately. He needs to relax a little."

Chapel glared at him sternly for a long while. Then smiled. "I'll comm you as soon as he's finished here. And I don't want to know a word about what happens later."

"Of course." Jim hurried to agree. "My lips are sealed. You won't regret it." He had the feeling that the woman might be already starting to regret her decision, so he turned on his heels and left the sickbay as soon as he was able. He wasn't going to give her the chance to change her mind.

"Thank you" He said over his shoulder just when he was already crossing the door. "I'll be waiting that comm."

And as soon as he received it he was going to finish that situation, Jim thought starting to walk to his cabin. Without any more nonsense.


	4. Chapter 4

Five hours later Jim arrived at the door of his CMO's quarters. The message from nurse Chapel, reporting that Bones had already left the sickbay and wasn't expected back until next morning, had arrived a long while ago. Clark had also finished his shift, so they'd had time enough to make themselves comfortable. If Jim ever had a chance to catch Bones in flagrant, that was it.

Ignoring the chime, he tapped in the access code and let himself in without warning. He did not even need the captain's override code. For a brief time, in their first year in the Academy, Bones had tried to keep the password to his bedroom private. The fourth time he had returned from a double shift in the clinic to find Jim laying on his small regulation couch with a pizza and a six-pack of beer waiting for him on the coffee table, however, he had surrendered to the inevitable. After that, he had handed the information freely every time that he was assigned to a new room.

To be fair, Jim had offered the same information to his friend, never mind that Bones had never asked for it. And although they were probably breaking some kind of regulation, things hadn't changed when they had been assigned to the Enterprise. So, he didn't feel guilty at all when the door opened and he took a step forward confidently; ready to feign surprise as soon as he caught Bones with company.

After spending the greater part of his day imagining his friend in every kind of acrobatic sexual positions, finding Bones on his bed, alone, wearing jeans and a ratty Academy t-shirt, a glass in a hand and a padd in the other, was an anticlimax for Jim. "Hey!" he said from the doorway, standing so close of the door that its sensors didn't allow it to shut again. He looked suspiciously around the room, searching for any hint of the presence of a second person.

Bones averted his eyes from the padd he was reading and looked at him curiously. He didn't seem worried at all by Jim's visit. "Jim?" he called when he caught onto the captain's strange behavior. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes" Jim replied when he was finally able to react. Maybe in the end Bones had decided that he was too tired for yet another crazy night and had canceled the romantic dinner with Clark. It was a pity, but he wasn't going to say that he felt sorry. "We need to talk," he said and went to sit on Bones couch. Suddenly, he felt very uncomfortable. He didn't remember having felt like this before. Not with Bones. And he didn't like it. The novelty wasn't a welcome one.

"All right," Bones lengthened the words. He rose slowly, settled the padd carefully on the bedside table, and rose taking his glass with him. After a short hesitation, he sat on his desk chair, in front of Jim. "You've been acting weird the last couple of days. Are you finally going to tell me what you have done this time?"

"Me!" Jim exclaimed offended. As if Bones were one to talk, after what he had been doing the last few weeks. "I have not..." He shut up and took a deep breath. That wasn't how he wanted to manage things. He wasn't going to allow Bones to push him into a defensive position. He started again. "Bones," Jim leaned forward, looking into his friend's eyes. "How long ago did we meet?"

The doctor arched an eyebrow, as if he wasn't sure that he was really expected to answer that. When it became obvious that Jim wasn't going to keep talking until he did it, however, Bones opted for going along with him."Almost seven years," he said with a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Since the day you finished my last decent bourbon in the shuttle to the Academy."

"And we've been friends since that day." For that, Jim would be eternally grateful. Of course he knew that he'd have been able to graduate the Academy without Bones by his side, he was used to do everything by himself, but he didn't lied to himself, things would have been much more difficult without McCoy, best friend, drinking buddy, conscience voice, and official ass kicker, always there for him. "You know that has not changed now I'm the captain, don't you?"

"Of course I know it," Bones replied. "Jim, what have you been drinking? Something dangerous? That bottle the ambassador gave you... It was legal liquor, wasn't it? Not more of that alien stuff that you try to sneak on the ship, without going through the medical controls, after shore leave." he seemed openly worried.

"No!" Jim protested with a face of disgust. "That happened only once and it was an accident. I've already learned not to trust street peddlers; it doesn't matter what the label on the bottle says or how well sealed the cork looks. And no, I haven't tried any of Scotty's experiments either," he continued before Bones had the chance of asking the question.

The still that the engineer kept hidden in some out of the way corner of his domains was a well-known secret on the ship. Jim was quite sure that he should close it but, truth be said, it had not harmed anyone, except for several really bad hangovers, and it usually was great for the morale of the crew. And, since that was a priority for the captain, he feigned that he didn't know anything about the matter and continued to enjoy the bottles that the Scott kept sending him anonymously.

"What I want to say is that you still can trust me, Bones. I'm the captain now, I have to make sure that everybody on board is following the regulations, and all that shit, but you know me. There are rules and rules and I have broken most of them in some moment of my life. I know which ones are important and which you can ignore without a problem. So, if you don't do anything to put my ship or my crew at risk, and I'm totally sure that you'll never do something like that, we both know that I'm going to ignore almost anything that you can do," he explained, almost without taking time enough to breathe. "So, is there something that you want to tell me?"

"No," Bones answered with absolute security.

"Oh, come on!" Jim protested. "Seriously, Bones. I've already told you that you can trust me."

"Seriously," McCoy said, looking at his friend as if he were trying to decide if he should go to get his tricorder or not. "I don't know what you want me to tell you. I work a large part of every day. And considering the amount of time that I spend writing reports for you, you should know what I'm doing every minute that I'm in the sickbay. And when I'm not there I'm with you. Or sleeping. If you believe that I have time enough to do something that I may want to hide from you, think again.

Jim had to bite his tongue to contain a sarcastic reply. Well, he thought. If that was how Bones wanted to play that game, then he could do it too. "Look," he said. He rose from his chair, went to serve himself a glass of his friend's best bourbon, and sat back on the coach. "I know that you like to keep your private business private, but things cannot continue like this." He raised a hand to silence the doctor when his friend made the attempt to say something. "There are rumors."

The lights in the cabin weren't at full intensity, but even with the dimmed illumination, Jim has to see that Bones had turned pale. Good, he thought. I got you.

"And you know how rumors are in this ship," he kept pressing. "This is like a flying high school, Bones. Once the cat is out of the bag, you'll never be able to catch him back. It's only a matter of time that everybody, from Spock to the last yeoman, finds out what's happening. I know it," he said, consciously ignoring the fact that he knew it only by pure chance. "I expected more from you, Bones. That's a shame and I feel hurt, really hurt. What were you thinking about?"

Bones collapsed against the back of his chair and paled even more. Jim was expecting some kind of reaction, but not something like that. His friend couldn't look more... shocked if Jim'd have beaten him.

"I'm sorry." The reply, when it came, came in a subdued tone that Jim had never heard in his best friend's voice before.

"Don't be sorry." he answered back, trying to guess what was happening inside the doctor's head. That attitude wasn't typical of him. When they had started this conversation, Jim had half expected that Bones tell him to go to hell and mind his own business without more ceremony. This was absolutely unexpected and he didn't like it. Too many things about Bones had come unexpected the last days "But is time for you to begin to take decisions. Things cannot continue like this."

Bones stared at the glass in his hands for a long time. Then he straightened his shoulders and looked right at Jim. "Do you want for me to request a transfer?"

"What? Fuck, Bones! No!" Jim almost jumped from his seat. A transfer? Leaving the Enterprise? What the hell was happening with Bones lately? "Look, the only thing I want is that you are more careful with the way you're doing things, right? You need to choose. Clark. Or Lane. Or Matthews. I'll be the first one to admit that it isn't an easy choice. It's obvious that you like them hot and you have great taste, but you can't keep dating the three of them."

"I can't what?"

"Continue dating the three of them, · Jim explained with exaggerated patience. Seriously, Bones couldn't be so obtuse, could he? "I agree that, until this moment, you've been doing a good job of keeping all this mess secret but, sooner or later one of them is going to find what's happening and is going to be really pissed off. That's the kind of thing that can screw over your career forever. They could send you to some dusty colony in bumfuck nowhere and I probably wouldn't be able to avoid it. And then, what? Seriously, Bones, I don't want to have to choose another medical officer.

"Wait," Bones leaned forward in his chair, staring at Jim. "Let me see if I understand this right," he frowned. "All this because you thing I'm dating someone?"

"Not someone. Three someones. At the same time. And even if I admire you for it, at some point this is going to blow up in your face." To his surprise, Bones burst into laughter. "This is serious, Bones. You can't joke about it."

"And what do you want me to do?" The doctor asked in a humorous tone that was extremely offensive because, what the hell? Jim was only trying to do the adult thing here. The least that Bones could do was listen to him. "I'd say that someone is trying to pull your leg. Who told you that? Let me guess, Sulu? No, probably not Sulu. Scotty?"

"I've seen it myself, Bones." Jim replied with his best captain voice. The one that he'd never thought that he'd need to use with Bones. "And I can swear to you that I have no doubts about what I saw."

Bones stared at him as if he just had grown a second head. Finally, he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"All right," the doctor nodded. "Carry on. Tell me. What was that terrible thing that you think that you've seen?"

"Matthews. In your office," was the first thing that came to Jim's head. Because, seriously, Lane and Clark were almost ok, but he'd never imagined his friend with another man.

"And that's bad because nobody enters my office. Ever." The doctor's voice dripped sarcasm, as it never had before.

"It's suspicious for the way Matthews walks when he leaves," Jim refused to allow Bones to make light of the matter. "What? Do you think that I've not done it before? Please, believe me. Nobody gets the allure of a quick shag in a forbidden place better than me, but you have to get bored of it at some point. Maybe you could consider some other place. A discrete place. Or you could be not so... rough. Oh, please, I cannot believe that I need to explain to you how good it is to do these things slowly. You are always preaching to me about that."

"And, of course, since that's what you'd be doing in my place, you're sure that is what I'm doing too," the doctor stated more than questioned.

"I'm not the only one, Bones. There are people talking about it."

"That only means that there are a lot of jerks with too much free time and a wild imagination in your crew," McCoy groaned.

"Maybe," Jim shrugged. "But it doesn't matter how imaginative they can be. Even you have to admit that there is always at least a little bit of truth in the rumor mill of this ship. They're creative, not fools"

"And of course you're not going to stop until you know what's happening."

The only answer that the doctor got was a smug smile. Of course, he wasn't going to be happy with nothing more than the whole story. With all of the juicy details.

"All right," Bones surrendered when it became clear that Jim didn't intend to stop pestering him. "Although I'm breaking the confidentiality that I owe Matthews."

"I doubt it. I'm the captain. Just think that you're giving me information that I need for the security of the ship."

"Yes. Sure." Bones frowned, glared at him for a long while and finally sighed. "I'm not going into details, but I'll tell you the basics. Do you remember all those times that I told you that someday you were going to catch an STD that I wouldn't know how to treat? Well, Matthews has been faster than you." The doctor continued before Jim had the chance to say anything. "So yes. After his last stupid little game, he has spent a few hours in the sickbay the last several weeks. It hasn't been easy to find a treatment that doesn't force him to return to Earth before his commission is done and send his career to hell."

"Seriously?" Jim asked, half-incredulous and half-admiring. That really was a surprise. He'd known that Matthews was very popular with the female half of his crew, but he'd never suspected something like that.

"I couldn't be more serious. It seems that the kid is working hard to catch every venereal disease known to mankind in a record time. Now he's started with the unknown." The doctor sighed and did his best to ignore Jim's smile. "In any case, he hasn't spent one moment more in my sickbay than what was strictly necessary. I admit that I probably could have been a little kinder in the way I administer the treatment, but maybe this will teach him to be a little more careful. God knows that, until now, neither friendly conversations nor threats have worked. If I'm lucky he'll finally learn how important it is to take preventive measurements", he added, shrugging. "That's all. And I have dates and information enough in my files to justify everything that has been happening between us."

Compared with all the crazy, but exciting theories that have crossed Jim's mind in the previous days that was definitely a cold shower. Even if it was good to know that his chief medical officer wasn't going to be banished from the Enterprise for inappropriate behavior, he felt kind of disappointed.

"What I still don't get," he said only a moment later, ignoring his friend's exasperated sigh, "is why you are treating him in your office when you have all those exam rooms at your disposal."

"I have them." Bones agreed. "But I have a serious problem with the soundproofing systems too. They aren't working since your last skirmish with the Klingons. You should know it. I've been including it in all my reports for weeks."

Jim ignored the comment and waved him to continue.

"Matthews doesn't know how to keep his mouth closed, all right? He's scandalous, intolerably scandalous, complaining and whining all the time. My staff doesn't need to put up with that shit. So, I'm sorry, but until you deign to send someone to make the repairs that we need I don't intend to change the place where I treat him."

"And that's all?"

"That's all," the doctor replied firmly. "And you could have avoided all this drama if you'd have come to me and asked in the first place."

"Great," Jim saw his chance there. If Bones thought, for even a moment, that he wasn't going to use the occasion to ask some more questions, he was very, very wrong. "In that case, I guess you won't mind telling me about Lane then, will you? Because it doesn't matter what you may say, I won't believe that she's jumping from bed to bed too."

"Of course not. Don't be so rude! Lane is a lady," the doctor protested. "But, in fact, I had intended to speak to you about her tomorrow."

"You were?"

"I was." Bones said after drinking a long sip. "I don't know what our orders are or where will we be in two weeks but, if we aren't too far from Earth, would you consider giving her some days of leave?"

"Just her?" Jim asked curiously.

"What do you mean just her?"

"Yes. Don't you want to go with her?" Jim offered, making an awesome display of generosity.

"No, of course not. Why should I...? Damnit, Jim!" Bones frowned and stared at Jim, threatening. "Stop with that right now. I'm not having a fling with Lane either."

"So, what is going on with her?" Carelessly, Jim ignored the frown. "Because you both have been spotted together lately. A lot. And you aren't going to sell me that you both have found a shared hobby lately."

"I'm the damned doctor of this ship, Jim," McCoy sighed exasperated. "My job is to ensure that your crew is healthy. Body and mind. At least as sane as four hundreds people that decide to lock themselves, willingly, in a bucket of bolts like this to wander around the galaxy for years can b," he clarified after an almost imperceptible pause. "Every time one of them needs me, of course I make time for them."

"All right," Jim gave in and gestured his friend to continue. "I'll bite. What are you doing with Lane?"

"Her little sister is ill. She was diagnosed a degenerative disease five weeks ago and Lane's been worried to death."

Jim recovered the seriousness all at once. That wasn't something to joke about. Even when all the advances of the modern medicine, some of those illnesses were still lethal.

"She came to see me, crying her hear out, to know what should she expect. So, I asked for the sister's medical record and checked who the specialist treating her was. He wasn't bad, but Starfleet Medical is working on an experimental treatment for her disease and I know the doctor in charge of the project," Bones shrugged. "That girl is close family of a member of the crew of the Fleet's flagship. She has all the right to be attended by one of our doctors, so I filled the paperwork to have her transferred to San Francisco and I've been following her case from here and explaining to Lane what's happening. I'd like to be able to do more."

"I didn't know." Jim was already plotting the best route to go back to Earth from their position. "Does she need that leave now? I can have her back in San Francisco in less than a week."

"No," Bones shook his head. "Lane's sister is doing much better than was expected but, if she goes and visits her now, it won't matter what I, or any other doctor, would say, she'll only see the monitors, the tubes, and how bad her sister looks right now. Give her two more weeks and she won't only be better, she'll look better and Lane will feel better when she visits her."

"Whatever. What you think is better." Jim didn't intend to argue with Bones about something like that. If he thought that was better for Lane, then that was what they'd do. "You just tell me when and I'll be sure to have her back on Earth as soon as I can."

"Thanks. I'll tell you something as soon as I can."

Feeling suddenly relieved, Jim let himself fall against the back of the couch. He was sorry for Lane, of course, but it seemed Bones had the situation under control and Matthews... well, if the moron decided to ignore the doctor's always useful advice, he would have to deal with all of the consequences. And with the engineer and Lane out of the game, only Clark was left. The potentially critical situation involving his CMO was now perfectly easy to handle.

"So it's Clark," he said, ready to coax all the juicy details of his friend. "I cannot deny it, dude. You have great taste. "

"Fuck, Jim! What the hell happened with you and wanting to know my sex life? No. I'm not dating Clark either." Bones passed his hand through his hair and sighed, frustrated. "And, if you dare to tell me that someone has seen me in any awkward situation with her, I swear to you that I'm going to make sure all your damned crew comes to sickbay to check their eyesight right away."

"Maybe you should talk to her first." Jim pointed because, this time... This time he had heard it from the lips of the lady. "Clark is hot, but she's not discreet at all. She likes to talk around everyone about her lover, the surgeon, and how he makes her reach amazing levels of pleasure with his skilled hands, and his extensive knowledge of the female body. I have to say that I'm impressed, Bones. Sometime you have to explain me what's that thing that is so spectacular that you do. Not that I need it," he added with a cheeky smile, "but it's always useful to learn new tricks."

"Ah, I got it now," Bones replied. And as soon as Jim heard his tone, he knew that he had been wrong again. "So, tell me, has she ever mentioned the name of that mythical and wonderful lover she has? Have you actually ever heard her actually say my name? Because you're right. That woman is one of the least discreet individuals that I've ever met," the doctor continued without giving Jim time to answer. "And the sooner she finishes installing the new organic tissues synthesizers and gets out of my sickbay, the better. This last week I've learned more about M'Benga's private life than I've ever wanted to know. I swear to you that there are moments when I cannot look at the man in the eyes."

"M'Benga." Jim repeated toneless.

"M'Benga. Do you know him? Dark skin. Brown eyes. The other surgeon assigned to your ship." Bones emphasized, in Jim's opinion without need, the word _other_. "He's a good guy. I'm sure that if you ask him nicely, he'll be happy to give you any advice that you need to improve your performance."

"No, thank you. I think I'll pass." Jim groaned and emptied his glass in one gulp.

What the hell had he been thinking? Even if he hadn't lived in the Enterprise for enough time to know to at some point the rumors could run out of control, he should have had more faith in Bones. His friend could be a secretive bastard in everything concerning his private life, but it was because he didn't like to share his private business, not because he was doing something unethical or because he had something to hide. Jim had wasted enough time trying to liven up his social life in the Academy to know it.

"I'm sorry." Jim sighed a moment later. "I suppose I was got carried away, but everything seemed to fit too well to not be the truth."

"Yeah. Right." McCoy refilled his glass and then did the same with Jim's. "I'll repeat myself. Next time that you are delirious and think that I've gone all Casanova with your crew, just come and talk to me. I'm too old for all this high school stuff."

After that, both men stayed silent for a long while. Bones didn't seem to want to speak any more about the matter and Jim was too relieved to have solved the misunderstanding, to risk and say something that could cause more tension. In all the time they had been friends, Bones had only been angry, really angry, with him once. It had been in their second year in the Academy. The doctor hadn't spoken to him for two weeks and Jim had felt miserable enough to not want to repeat the experience.

Consequently, Jim contented himself sipping his drink and studying his friend covertly, while his mind kept going on about everything that he had seen and heard in the last few days. Looking at it from the right perspective, it was obvious that he had been a fool. By now, he should know what several months locked in a small space could do with the imagination of almost five hundred bored people. Medical and command track had seminars about it in the Academy. What the hell, he and Bones had taken at least two together. And even so, there was something that didn't fit with what the doctor had said.

"Bones?" He called softly after arguing with himself if it was really a good idea to bring up the topic again. It probably wasn't, but he knew himself. He'd continue thinking about the matter until all his doubts were solved. If he didn't finish with it right now, he wouldn't be able to avoid speaking about it again later. And then Bones would be even more pissed off. He had to settle the matter right here and now.

"Mmmm?" Came the reply from Bones' chair.

"I understand that all those rumors that I heard are only unfounded gossip but, if there isn't anything happening, why were you going to request a transfer?"

"What?" Bones had been lost in his own thoughts, returned his attention to Jim all at once. He was again on the defensive mode, the captain noticed sadly. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"No? Well, I think you do. And, for good of that sincere diplomacy you spoke about just a few minutes ago," Jim waved to Bones with his glass, "I insist. As your captain and best friend I want to know what what you meant."

Bones shifted in his chair, noticeably uncomfortable. When he finally answered, he wouldn't look Jim in the eyes. "Listen, it's nothing. It's better if you forget what I said. If you haven't heard any other rumors, then nobody knows about it and I'll make sure that things continue like that. I prefer not to comment it."

"But there is something." Jim tried his best to not feel offended by the fact that even now McCoy had decided to not trust him. "And if it isn't about you dating someone, and by now I have that clear," he grimaced, "it has to be that you're interested in someone. Someone you believe is not suitable." Jim guessed, allowing himself to be guided by the emotions reflected in his friend's face. "Because in that case, you'd have told me to go fuck myself and mind my own business. You're feeling guilty. But it's not so bad, you know? I've heard a lot of things about you lately, and you don't need to worry, Bones. You're definitely on the list of the most wanted bachelors on the ship."

The doctor opened his mouth to say something, but Jim raised a hand to shut him up. At this point, he wasn't going to allow Bones interrupt him.

"I know you, Bones. You wouldn't pull rank to make someone date you. So, if she's interested, I won't raise any objection. I could even help you. Give you some hints, teach you some tricks if you need them."

He was serious, but almost as soon as he said it, he regretted it. From the moment they had met, it had always been Jim and Bones against the world. He'd always had his friend all for himself. The doctor had never shown a real interest for going out with someone. First, because the divorce was too fresh, and later for reasons that Jim had never really understood.

Jim hadn't been looking for a relationship either. Sex was great, of course, and he was a man with blood in his veins, but he wasn't comfortable with all that shit of emotions and sharing feelings that the girls seemed to want. He was a man of one-night affairs. A man of a few hours' affairs, more often than not. He didn't like repeated performances and he preferred to sleep in his own bed, alone, without sharing his space or waking up in the morning with someone making irrational demands when he hadn't offered more than some hours of sex and fun without complications. For all the rest he had Bones, who was always there for him and was his moral support the very few times that he admitted to need it. He had never shared him before and he suddenly found that he didn't like the idea.

"We'll come with something," Jim hurried to continue, trying to hide the brief moment of doubt. "Unless you're speaking about Uhura. In that case, you're on your own because that's Spock's territory and he has already choked me once. It wasn't fun. I don't want to repeat the experience."

"Damnit, Jim! Of course it's not Uhura. I..."

"Chapel, maybe? Because that's a very hot woman. However, Bones, if she's the one then you should be careful. She is in your chain of command after all. Of course nobody can doubt of her competence and she knows how to hold her ground against you, so if you both are discreet I don't foresee any problem with that either."

"Fuck! That's enough Jim. And leave Chapel alone. She's my best nurse, the last thing I need is that you piss her off."

"My yeoman, maybe? I have to keep my hands far from her, but I can see that Janice is gorgeous and she's being very nice to you lately. Although, truth be said," and he said it just to be a jerk, because at that moment Bones looked almost more embarrassed than mad and sometimes he simply couldn't avoid going a little too far, "if what you like are blondes, maybe you should think about me. I am the prettiest blonde on the ship. By far."

Then he saw it. A minimal, almost imperceptible change in his friend's expression. Someone who didn't know the doctor as well as he did probably wouldn't have noticed it, but he could read Bones like an open book. Or that was what he had thought until that moment.

"Oh, my god," Jim gasped. "Is that? Am I? Are you...?"

Apparently, that was the last drop for Bones, because before Jim had time to react, the doctor had already got a hold on his arm, forced him to rise from the couch, pushed him to the corridor, and closed the door at his back.

"Bones?" he said weakly after he listened the soft sound that told him that his chief medical officer had just closed his door with all the security codes at his disposal. "Bones!" He called in a louder voice, hitting the door with his fist. "Bones open the door. You cannot leave it like that."


	5. Chapter 5

Bones, apparently, didn't share Jim's point of view because the door stayed closed, it didn't matter how many time he pressed the chime. The captain's overdrive code didn't work either. So the stubborn bastard had used one of the strongest medical security codes, one that Jim only could break with Spock's collaboration. And, asking for the Vulcan help for something like that? That wasn't going to happen any time soon. He was ready to start punching at the door when a yeoman appeared around the corner. He had to take a step back and retreat. Allowing the crew to see his captain shouting at the CMO's door wasn't a good idea.

He was two corridors and half a deck away when he changed his mind. If Bones believed that he'd let pass something like that without speaking about it, he was wrong. He couldn't be more wrong. He turned on his heels, almost knocking down an unaware ensign who was walking behind him, and made his way back to the doctor's quarters.

Of course, when he arrived there Bones had already left. The door opened at his first try, but the room was empty. Great, he thought. Now he'd have to waste half of the night looking for his friend around the ship. Of course, he could ask the computer to locate the CMO for him, but it'd feel like cheating. With a suffering sigh, he left the room and started a methodical search for Bones' preferred corners of the ship.

A stop in the medbay didn't show more results than a curious look from the nurse on duty and a walk to Rec Rom Four, the only one on the ship without windows and, of course, the doctor's favorite, was not more successful. From there, Jim debated between the gym and the still hidden in Scotty's office. The temptation of the still would probably be a strong one, but Jim didn't believe that Bones would be in the mood for the engineer's company, so he chose the gym only to continue walking to the ship's bowels when he didn't find his missing CMO there either.

Frustrating as it was, the long walk through the ship gave Jim the time he needed to think about what he was going to do. Bones felt something for him. That wasn't what he had been expecting. It was... strange and totally unexpected. It wasn't that nobody had declared to be in love with him before. It had happened, a lot, but it was a kind of love that disappeared in the morning, or at the end of the weekend, or when the worst of the attack of lust that had made Jim jump into their bed had vanished.

It was true that Jim was prone to run away as soon as he could. It was perfectly possible that he had left some broken hearts behind him, but none of his former lovers had made too many efforts to see him again in a non sexual situation, so he was quite sure that it wasn't the case. He had learned a long time ago that, when people said, "I love you", most of times they didn't mean it.

Bones, however, was a very different matter. He never said things just to say them. What the hell? He hadn't say anything and Jim knew that his friend's feelings for him weren't something fleeting. Bones didn't do things halfway. Bones had been married and had been faithful to his wife until the day he had signed the divorce papers even when the woman had been fucking other guys for months. Bones had committed to find a cure for his father's illness and had risked everything, his marriage, his medical license, his practice... everything, in his search of it.

Bones hated the idea of space and Starfleet, but once he had enlisted, he'd done his best to fit in there. Groaning and complaining all the time, but he had adapted to the military style of life, survived the flight sims, the combat classes, and the never ending bureaucracy. He'd never given up and had graduated first of his class. Jim had needed to fight really hard for him to stay on the Enterprise. Above everything, Bones had never given up on Jim. He'd had faith in Jim when even Jim had not believed in himself.

So, if his friend felt something for him, that wasn't going to disappear all of a sudden. It was Jim who had to decide what was going to happen with them. If he decided to ignore what had happened, he knew that Bones wouldn't speak about his feelings again. He'd make sure to not bother Jim with unrequited emotions that could change their friendship forever. And, probably, sometime in future he'd find another person who'd love him back. Jim had just learned that a few members of his crew were dying for the chance to do it.

The prospect of it wasn't pleasant. In the last days, he hadn't liked the idea of his friend hiding things from him, but what really had made him lose his head was the idea of Bones spending time with someone who was not him. He wasn't going to lie to himself. He had been jealous.

The alternative, then, was to give Bones what he wanted, although the stubborn bastard would never admit it aloud. He had never been in a committed relationship, so he wasn't very sure about what that would imply. They'd spend most of their free time together, he guessed, but that wouldn't be a real change. Social life in the ship was quite lacking, especially for the senior officers, and hanging out with Bones was usually the best thing to do. That wouldn't be a problem.

The main change, however, would be that they wouldn't have to go to separate rooms at the end of the night. And that, he thought feeling suddenly interested, was a very interesting turn in the situation. He loved to be the captain of his own ship, but the down side of it was that he hadn't had such an intimate relationship with his right hand since he was a teen. Having Bones, as his best friend and lover, however...

A rush of images crossed his mind in a second. He and Bones in bed. The two of them on a shore leave, drinking in a bar and returning home together. Coming back to the Enterprise after an away mission, knowing that Bones would be waiting for him. Hanging out when then weren't on duty without having to go on different ways at the end of the afternoon. Finding new ways to make Bones smile. Jim loved Bones' smile, the open, happy, careless smile that the doctor showed too few times. As his lover, Jim was sure that he'd be able to bring it up a lot more often. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. The problem now was how to convince Bones of it.

Once the decision was taken, Jim didn't find any reason to lose more time. A quick consult to the always efficient ship computer revealed that doctor McCoy was currently in the stellar cartography lab, probably the last place where Jim would have looked for him. He was still there when the captain arrived there, almost ten minutes later.

The room was so dark that Jim almost thought it was empty. However, when his eyes got used to the shadows, he saw the well-known figure of Bones lying on a reclining seat in the back of the room and, of all things, watching the image of a nebula projected on the ceiling. Why was the man watching a recorded nebula when there were tons of perfectly beautiful stars that he could see from the observation desk was something that Jim didn't understand, but he wasn't going to ask. He had more important things to attend to.

He approached slowly, careful to not startle his friend, but Bones didn't move, not even when Jim sat on the closest seat. At least he wasn't running away again, Jim though. That was something.

"How long?" he questioned when he found a comfortable position because, really, how could he have not noticed it?

The answer, when it came, was almost a whisper but they were so close that Jim had no problem hearing it. "Since Khan. The feelings where there before, I guess, but when Scotty brought you in, when I opened that gray bag I just... I could not... I knew then."

"But, Bones, that was more than two years ago." Jim shift in his couch to have a better view of his friend's face. The doctor had his eyes fixed on the nebula that moved elegantly on the ceiling."

"I know."

"And you never said anything."

"I know."

"Why?" Jim asked because, really? Two years? How the hell had Bones been able to hid something like that for so long? "You should have told me." He didn't know if he felt amazed or a little hurt.

"How could I have told you?" Bones finally turned to look at Jim. "Do you remember how things were two years ago?"

"How...? Oh!" Jim shut up when he caught on to what Bones was referring to. Two years ago, after the chaos that Marcus had caused in Star Fleet and San Francisco, his life had been a mess. Bones had managed to keep him safe while he had been in the hospital but, as soon as he had been declared fit for duty, things had become crazy. He had been debriefed for weeks, until his role in the disaster had been clarified. Even with so solid proof like the communications from Marcus in the Vengeance, recorded by the computer on the Enterprise, most of the admirals had found hard to believe their colleague's betrayal. Jim had been forced to justify all his actions, to tell once and again all he remembered about Khan and Marcus, their sick relationship, their acts and motives.

And maybe Jim should have felt too tired, too disgusted, too weak to do more than sleep between meeting and meeting, but he was alive, damnit. He was alive and he had needed to feel alive. So, instead of staying in his apartment resting like the good boy that he was supposed to be, he had gone out almost every night. He had drunk less than he used to, but he had flirted like mad and had returned home with a different person, with a different woman, every night.

Bones had been just as busy as he was, with his own briefings, so their paths had not crossed too often for some weeks. When they had finally got some time to spend together, the doctor had been somewhat withdrawn, but when Jim had inquired about it, Bones had put it down to his own problems with the medical board. The Admiralty was happy that their most famous captain was alive and had saved the world one more time, but they were not so happy with the method his CMO had used to keep him alive. If they had questioned Jim's decisions, they were giving Bones hell for his acts. So, Jim hadn't asked any more questions and had thrown his efforts into cheering up his friend by dragging him out with him as often as he could.

In retrospect, that probably had not been the best possible idea but, in his defense, he had to say that he couldn't know what was happening in his friend's head. Eventually, however, Jim's social life had gone back to more acceptable levels, and his friendship with Bones had returned to its comfortable ways, but things have been strained between them for some time.

"I got it. Maybe then wasn't the best moment, but you could have said something later."

"I could," Bones shrugged. "But I couldn't see what good could have come of it."

"Well," Jim answered carefully. "Maybe I could have been interested."

"Yes Sure. James Tiberius Kirk, the most famous womanizer of the Fleet interested in another guy. I can see how well it'd work."

It was Jim's turn to shrug. He couldn't blame his friend for thinking like that. He had dated some guys, back in Iowa, more to bother Frank and Winona than for any other reason in the start, but he had enjoyed the experience enough to repeat it just for pleasure. When he had arrived to San Francisco, however, there had been too many female cadets from too many different worlds to keep him interested and only occasionally he had taken another man to his bed. It wasn't strange that Bones didn't know about it.

"I prefer women," he said after a moment. "But I've been with some men before and I'm not blind. I can appreciate beauty even when it doesn't come in a soft and curvy body. And all those people that I head speaking about you this week was right at least about one thing. You're probably the hottest man I've ever met."

Jim suspected more than saw the doctor blushing. For a moment, the man looked too shocked to say anything but, finally, he shook his head.

"So we would go to bed once, maybe twice, and then your interest would have turned to some new girl. That wasn't what I wanted... what I want, Jim. I hate the idea of things becoming weird and uncomfortable between us only for a night of sex, it doesn't matter how good the sex would be. You and your friendship mean too much for me to risk it for nothing."

"Maybe." Jim's first reaction was to deny it but then he changed his mid. "I wasn't the most focused guy back then, I agree, but things are different now. I'm a different man. I think we could be really good together. I mean, if you're still interested," he felt a moment of doubt.

"Jim. No. You don't need to do this for me. It's because of this that I didn't want you to know it. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Things don't need to change between us. You just... ignore what you heard and I'll manage. Just trust me. I can do it. I can..."

That was enough, Jim decided. It was time to change his tactics. He had been involved in enough diplomatic missions to know that sometimes words were not enough and a more hands on approach was in order. He leaned forward and kissed Bones.

The angle was all wrong and Bones became rigid and made a small movement to get away from him, but Jim wasn't the kind of man that allowed absurd inconveniences like that to get in his way. He moved to share his friend's couch, held Bones closer, and took his lips again, deeper, more firmly this time, and after a moment he felt Bones start to relax in his arms.

"You know me. I'd never feign something like this, not even for you," he gasped when they finally broke apart. "Especially not for you. But I want to try this. I'm sure that we can do this together."

"Jim," Bones groaned, trying to put some distance between them in the small space of the couch.

"What we have is great, but it could be even better. Can't you see it? Because I can. I cannot imagine myself doing something like this with anyone else but, with you?" His voice went down to become a whisper. "I can see how good can we be together, what we can have together, and I want it," he added closing the distance between them again.

This time Bones didn't put up resistance and Jim took his time to explore his lips, his mouth, until his friend moaned and finally returned the kiss. Making use of the small advantage, Jim slid his tongue in his friend's mouth, looking for the passion that he knew Bones was trying to contain. It took some time, but finally he felt the other man's arms wrapping around him and, when they broke apart again, it was because they needed to take a breath.

This close, Bones' eyes were almost green and Jim was able to see the fast dance of emotions reflected in them. There was love, fear, and hope, but it was the doubt that prevailed. "You'll get bored. Maybe now you think you won't, but soon you'll need something new, someone new, and I'm not any good at sharing. You'll get frustrated, I'll make you miserable and everything will blow to hell and that cannot happen. I already lost my best friend once, when my wife divorced me, and I cannot go through that again."

Since it had been such an effective method the first time, Jim kissed him again. He kept it sweet and light, but didn't stop until he felt Bones surrender to his embrace again. Then he moved away just enough to look him in the eyes.

"That's not going to happen. I've done some very crazy things in my life, you know? And I've slept with a lot of very different people, so there aren't so many new things out there for me to try. Besides, if I have you in my bed I'm not going to feel that I'm missing anything," he said, raising a hand to brush his friend's jaw with his thumb. "Do you remember Commander Robins' seminars? I can swear that I'm the only cadet in the history of the Academy that had fun in those and it was only because we were there together. Because being with you is never boring. I cannot imagine how that can change if we add sex to what we already have. Trust me," he looked at Bones right to the eyes and hoped he was showing exactly what he felt. "I'd never do anything to hurt you on purpose."

The frantic dance of emotions in the doctor's eyes continued for a brief moment, but then something seemed to click in his head and his expression changed to one that Jim knew well, the one that said that Doctor Leonard McCoy had come to a conclusion and was not going to change his mind. Suddenly, Jim found himself pinned to the couch with Bones lying over him, kissing him.

This time Bones was clearly in charge of things and Jim sank into the kiss, giving himself over completely, lips and tongue trying to learn everything there was to know about his friend. The taste of the bourbon that Bones had been drinking earlier that night was still in his tongue and he couldn't seem to get enough of it. He threaded his fingers into the dark, soft hair and sucked strongly on the exploring tongue, moaning softly when Bones pushed closer.

"Oh, yeah," Bones whispered when their lips finally separated, his head dropping to Jim's shoulder. "I've dreamed about kissing you like this. Just kissing. Being allowed."

"You should have asked sooner. I had no idea..." Jim replied, his hands already itching to explore his friend's body. "I don't want to stop, but we cannot do this here," he sighed. It didn't matter how much he wanted to do that, an uncomfortable couch in the stellar cartography lab was not the right place for his first time with Bones.

"Someone can enter at any time." Bones agreed, but leaned over for another kiss anyway, brushing their chests together as he moved. Jim couldn't hold back and returned the kiss, and the next one, and the next, until a soft noise made them jump apart, almost tripping in their hurry to get up.

Jim preferred not to wonder about what the young officer that had just entered the room could think about Bones mused hair or about his own swollen lips. There were going to be some new rumors in the gossip mill of the ship the next morning, he thought, but he didn't mind. The only important thing now was getting out of the lab and finding some place where he and Bones could be alone, so he walked past the girl, saluted her without really looking at her face, went out of the room with Bones right behind him and didn't stop until they were in the corridor.

"Your cabin or mine?" He asked, giving Bones the chance to choose.

"Yours." The answer came fast and without any hint of doubt. "It's closer."

Jim didn't question the decision, from his point of view they couldn't arrive at his quarters soon enough. They covered the distance to his cabin in silence, hands and shoulders brushing lightly while they walked through the almost empty corridors of the ship, and as soon as the door was closed behind them, he took his soon to be lover's hand in his and walked through the darkened room to the bedroom without turnning on the lights. In all his time as captain of the Enterprise, he had never shared that bed and he liked the idea of Bones being the first, the only one to do it. Without letting go of his hand, he turned to look at his friend.

"Are you sure, Jim?" The doubt was almost imperceptible in Bones's voice, but it was there for him to hear it.

"I'm yours, Bones" he replied quietly, taking off his shirt and undershirt in only one movement. "Whatever you want is yours."

"You don't know for how long I've wanted to hear that." Bones breathed deeply, sliding a hand to cup Jim's cheek as he moved to claim his mouth again. It was hungry and wet and consuming, all what Jim desired and more, and when they finally broke apart, they were panting again. Jim moaned and his head fell back, exposing his neck to Bones.

"All you want," he muttered, reaching around his friend to hold him close. Bones accepted the blond's invitation licking the tendons in his neck, lips pressed against salty skin. "Tell me what you want."

Bones seemed to freeze at that, and then he rose to look into Jim's eyes. "I want..." he said before kissing him again. "Oh, Christ... I want to feel you, to have you inside me."

"Fuck, Bones. I want that too. I want you."

Jim pushed Bones to the bed, a little stronger than he intended, and crawled over him pulling of doctor's t-shirt on his way up his body. Bones let himself be pushed onto the bed, hands reaching for Jim's waist and back, caressing the naked skin and arching against Jim's exploring mouth when it reached his nipples.

"Yes, Jim... so good. I... lights. I want to see you," he moaned sending a spark of lust straight to Jim's cock. "I need to see that it's finally you and not another crazy dream about you."

"It's me. I'm the only one touching you tonight," Jim groaned and ordered the computer to turn on the lights to a forty percent. Blinking at the suddenly intense light, he finished pulling the t-shirt over his friend's head and stared astonished at his naked chest. He had seen Bones half-naked before. They had shared a room in their last year at the Academy, they had changed in the gym together more than once, he had even got to drag him to the beach on shore leave once or twice, but he had never really seen him. He had never looked before. He knew that the CMO had to pass the same physical tests as the rest of his crew, but he had not expected anything like that.

"We should have done this sooner," he whispered gazing at the man spread out before him. "I had no idea..." Jim leaned forward for another kiss, enjoying the feeling of being able to do something like that freely, and reached for Bones's belt. "Help me. You have too many clothes on."

Bones raised his shaking hands to his belt and, pushing Jim softly away, he undid the buckle and pulled the leather from the pants in a smooth movement. Then he opened the button and pulled down the zipper. Keeping his eyes on his friend, Jim rolled to the side and pushed the rest of his clothes into a messy pile beside the bed.

"God, you're beautiful." Jim whispered, and ran his hand lightly over his friend chest. Hooking a knee, he pulled it up, making room to move between the other man's legs. He braced his hands on either side of him and leaned over for a kiss, bushing their chests together. Bones shifted to kick off his pants and tilted his head back to offer his lips better, raising one hand to fist it in Jim's hair.

"I want to feel you," he moaned softly as their chests brushed. Jim rocked his body over Bones, just barely touching skin to skin.

"Oh, yes. You're going to feel me, but I need to taste you first." Jim sucked slowly his new lover's neck, enjoying the sounds of pleasure that fell from his lips. He went down over his chest, slowly, licking and nibbling his nipples while Bones grasped his shoulders so strongly that Jim knew that he'd have marks on his shoulders in the morning.

He smiled when the hard abdomen shook under his touch, then sank his tongue in Bones' navel and descended still a little more. Bones' erection rose proudly in front of him and Jim stopped only time enough to lick a drop of pearly moisture from the head before taking him in his mouth.

It had been a long time since he had done something like that, but he took his time to remember all the right places to touch, every spot he must caress coming back suddenly to his mind. His tongue did things that he didn't remember to have done before and he enjoyed the sound of the moans and gasps falling from his lover's lips. Before he had time to do much, however, he felt Bones' hands pushing him away softly.

"Wait," the doctor panted and Jim lifted his mouth away. "Not like that. Not this time."

Jim lifted his mouth and smiled. He didn't ask questions, just slid over Bones, kissing a trail back to his mouth. When he was within his reach, Bones wrapped his legs around his hips, bringing him even closer, and kissed him. He moaned when he tasted his own flavor on Jim's tongue.

"Take me, Jim," he whispered hoarsely. Need was so clear in Bones's voice that it left Jim breathless. He raised a hand to brush the sweaty hair off his friend's forehead.

"Are you sure?" Jim asked, looking at him in the eyes. It was not that he thought that Bones were going to say no, but he needed to hear it aloud.

"Jim, if you dare to stop now I swear to god that I'm..." Kissing Bones breathless had proved to be a great way to silence him earlier, so Jim used again, all the while pressing his own erection against the doctor's thigh.

"All you want, remember?" Jim murmured. He slid his mouth down Bones' throat to suckle at the collarbone and reached to fumble into his night table, looking for the lube and condoms that he kept there. "I'm not going to stop."

Bones moaned and reached to wrap a hand around Jim's cock, feeling it from root to tip with gentle and sure fingers. God, Jim though almost dropping the lube, those girls were right. Those hands... those fingers... no way he was going to get tired of those fingers anytime soon. He made an effort to focus and open the condom, but Bones sat up and stopped Jim's hand from touching himself.

"Let me, Jim," Bones said, taking the condom from him and dropping down to suck the hard, bobbing cock into his mouth. With a groan, Jim wound his hands into Bones' hair, pulling his head away.

"Bones... fuck... you can't do that. I want you too much. I'm too fucking close."

Bones kept teasing for another long moment and then, slowly, rolled the condom onto Jim's cock before leaning back again and spreading his legs.

"You'll manage," he said with firm conviction, stroking his own cock back to life as he watched Jim spread the lube on his fingers. And fuck, that was amazing, watching Bones lying there like that, sweaty, all hot and bothered, touching himself for him. Jim swallowed hard and clutched at his cock as it twitched in reaction to the desire that shot through his gut. Warming the lube between his fingers, he batted Bones' hand away, replacing it with his own. He stroked the silky steel shaft and allowed his other hand go lower, to tease his friend's tight opening.

"So good. Jim, so good... more, please!" Groaning and breathing deep, Bones laid back against the pillows and drew his knees up to expose himself more. With a final stretch of his fingers, Jim replaced them with the crown of his cock. Pushing carefully against the yielding muscle, he growled.

"You ready for me, Bones?

"Oh, Christ, yes, Jim. Please!" Bones' hands scrabbled over Jim's sweaty hips, trying to pull him closer as his own cock throbbed from all the sensation. "Do it... Do it... Do it now!"

"Why did we wait so long to do this?" In one long, controlled slide, Jim buried himself in Bones' body.

Bones couldn't respond with anything other than a broken whimper as he raised his hips toward his lover, wanting everything he could get, urging Jim to move. Jim matched Bones' thrusts, his movements becoming faster and harder as Bones moaned and writhed beneath him. After a while, Jim sat back on his heels and pulled his lover up onto his thighs, changing the way he stroked into the clenching passage. Bones' yell of pleasure echoed around them as he clutched at Jim's shoulders.

"Jim, Christ... I'm going to come... please, Jim, harder!"

Wrapping a warm, still slippery hand around Bones' cock, Jim stroked him roughly.

"Come for me, Bones. I want to watch you come... feel you come."

It seemed that Jim's words were everything Bones needed to finally erupt, his hips jutting up and a rough howl of completion tearing from his throat. Jim followed with a guttural cry. Arms and legs trembling uncontrollably he lowered himself to Bones' chest, gasping for air.

Some time passed before Jim felt the need to move and Bones seemed happy simply to hold him. Cuddling was something that Jim had never enjoyed particularly before, but with Bones, who apparently shared his preference for silence after particularly good sex, it was comfortable. They stayed like that for a while, sharing slow caresses and long, languid kisses.

"Tell me again," Jim sighed finally. "Why have we not done this before?"

"Because I'm a damned fool," Bones replied hiding a yawn in his neck. "It's been amazing."

"Perfect," Jim whispered, fumbling to pull the covers up over them. "And you're lucky that I'm a genius because we're going to do this again. A lot. Soon."

"Later?" Bones mumbled, his eyes already closed.

"Later." Jim yawned and curled around him, perfectly happy.


	6. Chapter 6

It was late and Jim was alone in rec room three. Strangely, the place had been deserted for a while, so he'd had time enough to finish all his paperwork. Now, comfortably sprawled on a couch on the back of the room, he was just sipping his cappuccino and enjoying the sight of the stars on the other side of the window. He was waiting for Bones, who should had been off duty two hours ago, but had been delayed for yet another medical crisis.

Tonight was their first, kind of, anniversary. They had been together for six months and Jim didn't know if Bones would remember the date, but he had some surprises waiting for his lover in his cabin. Provided that Bones arrived soon, and Jim had Nurse Chapel's word that he wouldn't spend one minute more in sickbay than strictly needed, he had big plans for tonight. They had reasons to celebrate. The last several months had taken their relationship to a completely new level and he wanted to show Bones that he'd never felt so excited and alive before and that he was in this for the long haul.

Jim was lost in his thoughts when the soft noise of the door made him return to reality. He was ready to leave his seat and greet Bones when he noted that there was more than one person coming into the room and he froze in his place. In any other moment, he'd be glad of spending some free time with his crew, but not today. Today he was too busy trying to anticipate Bones' reaction to some of the things he had planned to socialize. Then, something in the conversation behind him caught his attention.

"Of course I did it. I have five credits in the pool. On Chapel."

"On Chapel? Really? I have my money on Rand. She's pretty and has already proved that she knows how to deal with bossy men."

Technically, bets were against regulations, but if the amounts involved were not high, they helped to prevent boredom between the crew and, in Jim's book, that was always good, so he didn't intent to forbid them. However, he liked to know what was going on in his ship. Especially if Chapel and Rand were involved. Bones was damned protective with his head nurse and he knew that Janice was perfectly capable of taking care of herself but even so...

"Nah... He's not that kind of man. Remember my words."

Suddenly, he recognized the voices. Just half a year before, he had been sitting on that same couch listening those same three women gossiping about Bones. He sighed inwardly. It seemed that nocturnal gossiping sessions were a well-established tradition between them. Jim wondered who their victim would be this night. It couldn't be Bones. Not this time. He had taken up most of his lover's free time in the last few months. People couldn't be speaking about him.

"So, who are you betting for?

"I don't know but I don't think is one of them. There are a lot of guys interested in Chapel, Rand, and most of the names in that list. If he were dating one of them, I'm sure we'd already know it for sure. Maybe that new ensign in the sciences department. What's her name? Marlena? I think she was transferred here just when we started suspecting."

"Or maybe he's not dating anyone. He may... what I know? Maybe he's happy for some other reason? Is he working in something exciting lately?"

It had been a long time since the last time he had heard them, and Jim was having problems putting a name to each voice, but he identified the fourth woman as soon as she opened her mouth. Clark's voice was the only one he could associate to a name and a face and he wasn't going to forget her anytime soon.

"Geoff says that he's always working on something new, so it can't be that. His theory is that there is sex involved."

So, the girl was still dating M'Benga. Jim had wondered about it in the last couple of months. It was good to know that he was not the only one who could not resist a doctor's skills. However, he hadn't believe that M'Benga was prone to gossip.

"And who does Geoff think that she is? They work together all the time. He should have some theory about it."

A nasty suspicion appeared in the back of Jim's brain, but he did his best to ignore it until he had heard more.

"No idea, sorry," Clark said nonchalantly. "But I think your money is as well as lost, Jenn. If Chapel were sleeping with McCoy, someone in sickbay would know it by now. And they all are sure it is not her."

Jim choked back a groan. They had to be kidding. He and Bones had been discreet, right, avoiding obvious signs of affection in public, but they hadn't been hiding either. It had to be evident to anyone who was looking that they spent all their free time together. Damn it! Jim had even managed to convince Spock to move their weekly chess games to Bones' quarters. And that? That was the greatest diplomatic feat in Jim's record as captain. So, why was he not the first one on that list?

"Well, if you ask me, I don't mind who she is, I only hope that it lasts. Visits to the sickbay are much easier now that the doctor is happy."

"Yeah, his bedside manner has improved a lot."

And that was because Jim had done an excellent job of giving Bones all he needed, even when Bones was too stubborn to admit that he needed it. It wasn't that he wanted to brag about it, Bones would never allow it in any case, but he'd like to have his merit recognized and not be bestowed to some anonymous, random ensign who didn't even know how to make Bones smile. Jim, nevertheless, was damned good at it. He had a natural skill to for it. He was almost as good at making Bones happy as being captain of a starship. Now that the last barriers between them had fallen, he was finding new ways to do it every day.

Jim was wondering if maybe he should leave his hideout on the couch and make some things clear to the group of gossipers when the door opened again and the four women fell silent all at once. In the suddenly quiet room, Jim had no problems recognizing Bones' steps coming into the room. A brilliant idea popped into his mind then. Bones wouldn't be happy about it. Fuck! He probably would have to use some of his best tricks to make Bones forgive him, but it would be worth the effort.

Before he'd have time to change his mind, he jumped from his seat and walked toward his lover with a purposeful step and a cheeky smile in his face. Bones had taken the time to stop at his cabin and change from uniform, he noted, and was hot as hell in black jeans and a black shirt that Jim had never seen before. Maybe he had remembered the date too, Jim thought, his smile becoming impossibly wide. When he was next to Bones, he turned to the group seated around the table by the replicator and bowed lightly.

"Close, ladies, but not quite right."

Jim noted Bones' startled expression, but he ignored it and, without a word, he took his lover in his arms and kissed him. It was sweet and deep, the kind of kiss that showed that they had been doing it for a long while, but Jim kept it short. Before Bones had time to react, he put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him gently to the corridor.

"Perfect timing, Bones," Jim said when the door closed at their back . "Now let them talk."


End file.
